gs us some rain we may be thankful for it."

"But the wind may throw the surf on the shore, and we may find it
dangerous to pass through it," observed Walter.

"Time enough to think about that when we get there," said the mate.
"Either there was no land in sight yesterday, and we were mistake when
we fancied we formerly saw it, or a mist hanging about it hid it from
our view."

"Perhaps we see it when daylight come back," observed Nub; "and dat just
begin to break astern."

The dawn gradually increased. Nub kept eagerly looking out ahead. "I
see someting!" he exclaimed suddenly. "It either a rock or a boat."

"That's not a rock," said the mate, "or it would be hidden as the sea
washes over it."

"Den dat a boat," cried Nub. "Can it be de cap'en's?"

"Our father's boat?" cried Walter and Alice in chorus.

"It may be," said the mate; "but I think not. We shall soon know."

Eagerly they all watched the boat.

"You must not raise your hopes too high," said the mate at length. "If
that boat had people on board she would be pulling towards us, but by
the way she floats on the water I am pretty certain that she's empty.
Yes, I am confident of it," he added. "In another minute we shall be up
to her, and till then there is little use hazarding conjectures on the
subject."

The raft approached the boat. "Furl the sail!" cried the mate. Walter
and Nub did so, and the raft glided up alongside the boat, which was
half-full of water, and much shattered. Nub seized hold of the bows,
while Walter jumped in, and with his cap began to bail out the water.

"What boat is it?" asked Alice.

"One of the _Champion's_--no doubt about that," answered the mate; "but
don't be alarmed, Miss Alice, at there being no one on board. It's
strong evidence, in my opinion, that the people have been taken out of
her, and that the boat, being water-logged, has been abandoned. Bail
away, Walter. We shall soon free her from water, and then as soon as
the sea goes down we shall haul her up on the raft, and see what we can
do with her. That carpenter's chest was not sent us for nothing, for
the tools are just the sort we want for the work; and, look here! the
planks we nailed on to the bottom of the raft are exactly suited for
repairing her. I scarcely dared to pray for a boat like this; but now
she has been sent us, we may have good hope of reaching the shore, which
I own I began to doubt we ever should."

"Ay, Massa Shobbrok, y